Thanks so much to It’s American Press for sponsoring this post! As always, all opinions are my own.
No, that wasn’t a mistake in the title. I used an American Press to make this delicious, velvety smooth, refined sugar free Iced Honey Vanilla Latte, NOT a French Press.
In fact, I have a “donate” pile in the top of my garage where I put things I no longer want. Immediately after using my new American Press, I marched my old French press right up to that pile and left it there. We had a good run, but it’s time for me to move on. Seriously, American Press- take all my money. Just take it. This product is extremely well-made, as is the coffee it brews.
Don’t worry- if you don’t have an American Press you can still make this delicious Honey Vanilla Latte (just use any strong brewed coffee- see recipe below). But since I was so impressed by this product, I’d like to tell you a little more about it and why I love it so much.
It’s easy to clean.
Unlike a French Press, in which the grounds get pushed to the bottom of the carafe, the grounds stay contained in a neat little pod that’s easy to empty and rinse out in the American Press. You’re left with a concentrated, slightly wet heap of coffee grounds rather than the drenched sludge found at the bottom of a French Press. You can easily toss it in the trash, or if you have a garden, empty it into your compost or at the base of one of your plants for a boost of nitrogen.
It’s easy to use.
Just fill the pod with coffee grounds (or, tea!), add hot water to the carafe, and after waiting for a minute or so (“pre-infusing”), press down slowly to finish brewing your coffee.
There’s no grit in the coffee.
French Press coffee can be delicious when it’s made right. But usually, you end up with a mouthful of gritty residue toward the bottom of your cup. That’s because the fine mesh sieve in a French Press can allow some of the grounds to sneak through. In the American Press, the grounds are contained in a pod with two mesh areas, surrounded by an airtight lining that doesn’t allow any grounds through. Plus, you use a medium to coarse ground in the American Press, which helps keep the grounds where they should be (NOT in your coffee).
The taste! YUM.
Smooth, smooth, smooth, and oh so tasty. The coffee came out lighter colored than I thought it would, but it still maintained a bold flavor. It’s not acidic, and is the best cup of black coffee I’ve had (read more about switching to black coffee here).
It’s sturdy and well-made.
You can just tell. It has a nice weight to it when you hold it or press down on the pod. It is simple, which is part of the reason why it’s easy to clean- there are no nooks and crannies for stuff to hide out. The double-walled carafe ensures it stays cool enough to handle while keeping your coffee piping hot. Pressing down on the pod is so fun and satisfying- I just let the weight of my hands guide it slowly down. It’s kind of hard to press, but it’s supposed to be, since it should be pressed down very slowly.
Now, onto the iced honey vanilla latte.
There’s not much to say here- this is one of the simplest recipes ever. And it’s so much healthier, not to mention cheaper, than buying a “fancy” latte from your favorite coffee shop. The key here is a honey vanilla simple syrup, made in advance with honey, hot water, and vanilla extract. Just add some of the syrup to brewed coffee (preferably from an American Press), and top with ice and whole milk.
Have I convinced you? Great! You can buy the American Press here.
Recipe for this iced honey vanilla latte below:-)
Iced Honey Vanilla Latte
Equipment
- American Press or French Press
- Mason Jar
Ingredients
Honey Vanilla Simple Syrup:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Iced Honey Vanilla Latte:
- 6 oz. strong brewed coffee or espresso such as from an American Press
- 2 tablespoons honey vanilla simple syrup
- 1/2 cup whole milk plus more if needed
- ice for serving
Instructions
- To make the honey vanilla syrup, combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Shake to combine. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- If you have time, allow coffee to cool a bit before making the latte.
- Stir together the coffee and two tablespoons prepared simple syrup in a glass.
- Top with ice and whole milk.
- Stir and enjoy!
Notes
- You can buy the American Press Here!
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Andrea
Tastes great! Not too sweet and just the right amount of honey and vanilla flavoring; thank you!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!